Former wrestler Brett DiBiase, son of WWE legend, pleads guilty to welfare fraud

The son of WWE legend Ted DiBiase pleaded guilty to welfare fraud in Mississippi on Thursday, authorities said.

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Dale “Brett” DiBiase, 34, a former wrestler and the former deputy administrator for the Mississippi Department of Human Services, pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the government, the Clarion-Ledger reported.

He faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, according to The Associated Press.

The plea follows Brett DiBiase’s 2020 conviction in state court for a related charge, WJTV reported.

In December 2020, DiBiase admitted he made fraudulent statements for the purpose of defrauding the government, according to the Clarion-Ledger. According to court documents, he admitted he was given approximately $48,000 through. Restore2, a limited liability he set up shortly before receiving the funds, the newspaper reported.

DiBiase is one of several people tied to the fraudulent scheme, WLBT-TV reported. That involved the embezzlement of millions of dollars in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funding.

“I applaud our federal partners for continuing to pursue federal charges for each and every individual responsible for stealing from Mississippi’s most needy and vulnerable citizens,” Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens said in a statement. “As I have said before, this case is far from over and both the state of Mississippi and the U.S. government will continue to pursue all those involved in this fraud, regardless of their position or standing.”

Other people indicted and convicted in the case include former DHS Executive Director John Davis and Nancy New, Zach New, Latimer Smith, and Ann McGrew.

Brett DiBiase comes from a family of pro wrestlers, including his father, who starred in the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) as “The Million Dollar Man.” His brother, Ted DiBiase Jr., also wrestled. The three men were allegedly were given money from state welfare funds, according to a report by state auditor Shad White, the Clarion-Ledger reported. Neither Ted nor Ted Jr. has been criminally charged in the case, according to the newspaper.

Brett DiBiase last wrestled in 2016, WrestlingInc. reported. He previously worked for WWE’s developmental Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) brand from 2008 until 2011, according to the website.